Sunday, 16 August 2015

TLFG: 17-23 August 2015

I didn't but I would very much like to have checked out the Saudi Super Cup which was played at QPR's Loftus Road on Wednesday.

As readers of last week's piece will know, the prices for this game were prohibitive with the majority selling for £45 and £75 - far too much for most casual fans wanting to see a game.

Having been working early shifts all week, I took a late afternoon nap and was actually woken by the chanting of the crowd at the game.

Despite the prices and location of the game some 3,000 miles away from teams' home city of Riyadh, the atmosphere sounded electric. Although not sold out, I saw some video footage showing a reasonably full stadium so it seems like it was a success. Al-Hilal beat Al-Nassr 1-0 in case you're interested with former Porto player Carlos Eduardo scoring.

For me, preparations are continuing for Non-League Day 2015 on 10 October which means we've got just under eight weeks to pull everything together.

This weekend's FA Cup results mean we know a load more of the teams who will have home games so I'll try and get their fixtures on the match map over the next few days.

In the meantime Lokalrunde, our sister event in Germany and Switzerland, is coming up in three weeks during their most appropriate international break.

If you're reading this in one of those or any neighbouring countries and fancy a weekend of non-league action European style then check out the event's website to see which teams are participating.

As always, enjoy your week of football watching and let me know what you've been up to.

GET INVOLVED

If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground within the London area for this blog then get in touch. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries.

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

LATEST TICKET NEWS

Please follow this link or click on the tab at the top of the page for all the information you need about how to get a ticket, what's currently available to non-members at London's biggest clubs and any other special offers or promotions which might be running.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 100 matches in the London area over the next seven days so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

However, please make sure you check with clubs before you traveljust in case a game has been called offor venue has been changed. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.

Details on all of this week's games can be found in the following match map. If you've never used it before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the left side of the map page to make sure you get all the information.

Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

Next up is this week's TLFG match recommendations where I list a few games which I think could be worth a watch. If I miss one that you think should get a mention then add your own in the comments section below.

TLFG TOP 10

1. West Ham United v Bournemouth - there are three Premier League games taking place in the capital this week but none of them are hugely mouthwatering. I've gone for this as it's the only one that still has tickets on general sale. After the joy of winning at Arsenal on opening weekend, the Hammers came back down to Earth with a home defeat against an impressive looking Leicester side. They have a chance to get back to winning ways on Saturday against the newly promoted Cherries who have never played in the Premier League. One of the smallest in the division, the Dorset club are among the favourites for relegation and duly lost their opening game against Aston Villa. They have a tough match against Liverpool at Anfield on Monday so if they come out of that with any points then this should be interesting. (Premier League, Saturday 22 August, 3pm. Ticket info)

2. Brentford v Birmingham City - the Bees are proving to be quite a resilient bunch so far this season. At 2-0 down and with the clock well past 90 minutes against Ipswich last week, they somehow salvaged a 2-2 draw. On Saturday they came from behind twice to beat Bristol City 4-2 at Ashton Gate. As a result they are up to third and preparing to host the Blues who have also picked up four points from their first games. Having not beaten them in six attempts, the visitors are becoming a bit of a bogey team for Brentford who are particularly bad against them at Griffin Park where they haven't defeated them since 1954. (Championship, Tuesday 18 August, 745pm. Ticket info)

3. Millwall v Barnsley - the Lions were installed as one of the favourites for promotion from League One this season and began with a good win at Shrewsbury. On Saturday they faced another contender in the form of former Premier League side Coventry. The match against the Sky Blues would, I thought, be an indicator of how good Millwall are. Sadly they missed an early penalty and then got swept aside by four goals to nil - quite a wake up call. Barnsley, another side who've seen better days, have made a similar start and are the sort of side that must be beaten if a promotion-winning campaign is to be seriously entertained. (League One, Tuesday 18 August, 745pm. Ticket info)

4. Leyton Orient v Stevenage - after suffering a turbulent year which ended in relegation, the O's have made a very positive start to life in League Two under new boss Ian Hendon. Having taken the full six points from tricky derby fixtures against Barnet and Dagenham & Redbridge in their first two league games, the East Londoners are joint top. Stevenage, now managed by former Manchester United and England star Teddy Sheringham, have made a more modest start and will begin very much as second favourites. Given the visitors' location just to the north of London this is effectively a derby too. (League Two, Tuesday 18 August, 745pm. Ticket info)

5. Boreham Wood v Forest Green Rovers - having crammed three games into their first ever week playing at national level, the Wood will probably be satisfied with the three points they have gleaned so far. One of the minnows of the National League, the Hertfordshire side were predicted to struggle but began with a solid home win over Halifax. However, narrow back-to-back defeats to Eastleigh and Gateshead at opposite ends of the country have dulled some of that early euphoria. On Tuesday they welcome early leaders Forest Green who made the play-offs last season and are hoping for at least more of the same this time. A point here would be quite an achievement for the hosts. (National League, Tuesday 18 August, 745pm. Ticket info)

6. Wealdstone v Ebbsfleet United - after finishing last season strongly, the Stones were fancied to push on and firmly establish themselves in the sixth tier. It may still happen but with three defeats from three games their start has been disappointing. Things aren't going to get any easier on Saturday when leaders Ebbsfleet, who have a 100% win record at the time of writing, roll into Grosvenor Vale. Expected to do well, they've lived up to their billing and seen off some decent sides already. The two games between the sides last season were tight with Ebbsfleet scoring the only goal in 180 minutes of football. (National League South, Saturday 22 August, 3pm. Ticket info)

7. Grays Athletic v Billericay Town - on the far eastern side of town we have an Essex derby to look forward to on Saturday. Grays just missed out on a play-off spot last season but have remained positive over the summer and begun well. Undefeated in three, they have become one of the four teams to open an early lead at the top. Also unbeaten but with more draws than wins, county rivals Billericay should provide tough opposition. Will Grays keep their place in the Gang of Four? Head to Aveley's ground which they share to find out. (Isthmian League Premier Division, Saturday 22 August, 3pm. Ticket info)

8. AFC Hornchurch v Thamesmead Town - the Urchins are new to this division after getting relegated. A Conference South side not that long ago, they are expected to bounce straight back up and have made a decent enough start with two wins from three. Thamesmead, however, have made a superb start having won all three of their games so should be very dangerous opponents. A top-eight clash from the eighth tier - this could well be worth a look if you're on the east side of London. (Isthmian League Division 1 North, Saturday 22 August, 3pm. Ticket info)

9. Wembley v Hillingdon Borough - the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that I recommended you watch these two last week too. Well their FA Cup tie ended in a draw so they have to replay at Vale Farm on Tuesday. If you haven't begun your 'Road to Wembley' yet or are looking to continue it, then watching a game within sight of the national stadium probably isn't a bad place to spend an evening. Saturday's game finished 1-1 and with the hosts being the higher ranked side, they should start as favourites. (FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay, Tuesday 18 August, 745pm. Club info)

10. Bedfont & Feltham v London Tigers - these other two West London clubs also tied 1-1 in the FA Cup on Saturday so have to do it all again on Tuesday. Bedfont play a level below the Tigers so did well to earn a draw in Greenford. B&F have one of the most unusual grounds in the country located as it is at the end of Heathrow Airport's very busy runway. If you like football and plane-spotting then this is quite possibly your idea of heaven. (FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay, Tuesday 18 August, 745pm. Club info)

If you have any questions or want advice about watching football in London, you can contact TLFG using the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or email.

4 comments:

Hi mate, great stuff as always. It seems that Leyton Orient have changed their website around, the best place for ticket info now seems to be https://www.lofcdirect.co.uk/events.aspx (Took me a while to find it)

About Me

I'm a QPR fan and follower of Harrow Borough in the Isthmian League.
In 2010 I set up Non-League Day to help promote semi-professional and grassroots football. I'm hoping that TLFG will help provide a similar boost for football clubs around the capital.
I also worked at BBC Sport for 10 years before it relocated to Salford but decided not to go, such was my love of London.